Author: Minivan News

Suood to investigate Justice Ali Hameed’s ‘sex tapes’

Former Attorney General Husnu Suood has been appointed to a Judicial Services Commission (JSC) committee to investigate Supreme Court Justice Ali Hameed’s alleged involvement in a series of leaked sex tapes.

The JSC set up a five member sub committee in July following the circulation of several videos in which an individual believed to be Judge Ali Hameed has sex with several unidentified foreign women in a Colombo Hotel room.

Suood was appointed to the seat previously occupied by Mohamed Anil who resigned from the committee following his appointment as the state’s Attorney General.

The remaining members on the committee are JSC Vice President Abdulla Didi, President’s representative to the JSC Latheefa Gasim and lawyers Ahmed Rasheed and Hussain Siraj.

The committee in July recommended the suspension of Ali Hameed, but the JSC decided against any action citing lack of evidence and asked the committee to conduct further investigations into the case.

Abdull Didi and Latheefa Gasim then tendered their resignation from the committee, but the JSC voted not to accept their resignations.

The Supreme Court suspended Suood in September for alleged contempt of court.

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Ahmed Farish Maumoon made state minister

The President’s Office has confirmed the appointment of Ahmed Farish Maumoon as the Minister of State for Economic Development.

Farish is the son of former President and leader of the Progressive Party of Maldives Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. Gayoom’s daughter Dunya – formerly state minister for foreign affairs under the previous administration – was appointed to the cabinet as foreign minister last week.

The names of the first cabinet ministers proposed by the newly elected President Abdulla Yameen – Gayoom’s half-brother – were forwarded for the approval of the People’s Majlis today.

The proposed appointments include Umar Naseer as Home Minister, Sheikh Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed as Islamic Minister, Dr Mohamed Muiz as Housing and Infrastructure Minister, Dr Mohamed Shainy as Fisheries and Agriculture Minister, Mohamed Saeed as Economic Development Minister and Thoriq Ibrahim as Environment and Energy Minister.

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Goverment to amend Decentralisation Act

The Government has proposed an amendment to the Decentralisation Act in a bid to cut spending on the Civil Service.

The Act, regarding local councils, currently ensures that five council members must be elected for every island with less than 3000 people, while islands with more than 3000 people are entitled to seven councilors.

In cities, one councilor is elected for each constituency.

The proposed amendment amalgamates the island and atoll councils to a limited extent.

Individuals may belong to both councils, and there will no longer be separate elections for the atoll councils.

Ibrahim Muaz, spokesman for the President’s Office, said, “the president’s thinking is not to cut-down on the number of councilors. But to elect councilors based on the population of the islands. This is a move to curb State expenditure.”

The government hopes to implement the amendment before the local council elections in January.

However, Moosa Manik, MP for Hulhu-Henveiru and Chair of the Parliamentary National Security Committee, warned that it may be impossible to implement the changes before January.

The committee has recently passed other local council reforms, including designating any island with more than 10 000 people a city (currently 25 000) and inviting the president of the women’s committee into council.

The Maldivian Democratic Party had proposed similar legislation in 2010, aiming to cut down on administrative costs by establishing seven provinces in place of the twenty-one atoll system.

The bill was shot down by opposition MPs, mostly from the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party, on the grounds that the proposed changes were unconstitutional.

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New Attorney-General appointed

The new Attorney-General, Uz Mohamed Anil, took his oath of office on Thursday evening at the President’s office.

Mohamed Anil was appointed by President Abdulla Yameen Gayoom, and took his oath before Supreme Court Judge Uz Abdulla Areef.

Mohamed Anil will also sit on the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), as per Article 158 (i) of the Constitution.

This marks the final appointment of the President’s Cabinet.

President Yameen’s Cabinet
Minister of Defense and National Security, Retired Colonel Mohamed Nazim
Minister of Finance and Treasury, Abdulla Jihad
Minister of Tourism, Ahmed Adheeb (PPM)
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dunya Maumoon (PPM)
Minister of Transport and Communication, Ameen Ibrahim (Jumhoree Party)
Minister of Home Affairs, Umar Naseer
Minister of Islamic Affairs, Sheikh Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed (Adhaalath Party)
Minister of Housing and Infrastructure, Dr Mohamed Muiz (Adhaalath Party)
Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture, Dr Mohamed Shainy
Minister of Economic Development, Mohamed Saeed (Jumhoree Party)
Minister of Environment and Energy, Thoriq Ibrahim
Minister of Education, Dr Aishath Shiham (PPM)
Minister of Health and Gender, Dr Mariyam Shakeela
Minister of Youth and Sports, Mohamed Maleeh Jamaal (PPM)
Attorney General Mohamed Anil

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Two arrested for stealing laptop and cash

A 21 and 24 year-old have been arrested by the Maldivian Police Service (MPS) on suspicion of stealing a laptop and cash, Sun Online reports.

A laptop and MVR 100 000 were burgled from a house on Kunahandhoo in Laamu atoll on Friday afternoon.

The suspects were arrested during the subsequent manhunt.

Both were arrested on Laamu Kunahandhoo

Maldives Police Service has arrested two individuals on suspicion of stealing a laptop and a large amount of cash from a house in Laamu Kunahandhoo yesterday afternoon.

Police revealed one individual as a 21-year-old and the other a 24-year-old, and said both have records of theft and robbery.

The two people were arrested during a manhunt for suspects. They are suspected of stealing a total of MVR 100,000 in cash, in addition to the laptop.

The 21 year old individual was arrested today and the 24 year old early this morning, police said. Both men were arrested under court warrants in Laamu Kunahandhoo.

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New High Commissioner to Malaysia nominated

Mohamed Fayaz, former deputy police commissioner, was nominated by President Abdulla Yameen as the Maldivian High Commissioner to Malaysia on Sunday.

Haveeru Online reports that President Yameen is seeking approval for the appointment in the People’s Majlis.

Fayaz is currently the Minister for Home and State Affairs.

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EU congratulates Maldives on election

The European Union (EU) released a statement on Thursday urging all Maldivian political parties to work together for the betterment of the country.

Catherine Ashton, the EU’s High Representative, warned of both economic and environmental challenges ahead.

“The EU expects all political parties to put personal and ideological rivalries aside and work together to confront the serious economic and environmental challenges which the country faces,” she said.

Aston further congratulated the Maldives on its “commitment to democracy” and constitution, crediting the professionalism of the Electoral Commission.

The EU had earlier threatened “appropriate measures” against the Maldives in response to the annulments and delays of the electoral process.

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High Court overrules prison sentence of island chief

Nolhivaram Ali Rasheed Hussain, former island chief of Nolhivaram in Haa Dhaalu Atoll, has had his prison sentence revoked by the High Court, Sun Online reports.

Hussain was convicted in 2012 of embezzling MVr 3600 of State finances.

He was sentenced to two years and six months by the Nolhivaram Magistrate Court.

The High Court ruled on Wednesday that, as the Nolhivaram Magistrate Court had failed to produce the paperwork requested by Hussain during the trial, the sentence was null.

Furthermore, court minutes suggest that Hussain was denied the constitutional right to cross-examine the witnesses against him.

The vote to annul was unanimous.

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MNDF searching for lost fishing boat

The Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) is searching for the fishing boat “Kanduroadhi” after it was reported missing 54 nautical miles east of Fahala in Thaa Atoll on Thursday around 8:00pm, reports Sun Online.

The MNDF described the missing boat at 75 feet long, dark blue on the sides and orange on top with a white shelter in the middle of the vessel.

Anyone with information on the missing vessel should contract the MNDF on 191 or 3395981.

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